Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
More than 67 musicians will appear across 26 performances in 9 days at seven of the region’s leading venues, delivering a packed programme that spans cutting‑edge experimental and improvised work alongside standout contemporary jazz.
Photo by Victoria Wai
The Newcastle Festival Of Jazz & Improvised Music is now established as an absolute treat for music fans in the city with an interest in jazz and underground music in its myriad forms. Across its two weekends and seven venues, there will be almost 70 artists appearing at 26 performances, covering the ground from classic jazz trios to electronics-tinged modern iterations. There will also be workshops and other goings on.
Things kick off on Thursday September 24th with an appearance from Indo-jazz pioneer Arun Ghosh, in his Sextet iteration. Friday 25th has Jon Bradley with the Edith Adamson Carillon at Newcastle Civic Centre (that one’s free) and Portishead / Radiohead-adjacent Get The Blessing at the Cluny 2, supported by a solo incarnation of Dilettante.
Saturday 26th has Adam Fairhall and Johnny Hunter paying tribute to the magnificent, game changing Mary Lou Williams in the Cumberland Arms back bar at 6pm, another free show, followed by the city’s own John Pope Quintet supported by Urvashi in the upstairs venue at 7.30pm. Pope will be ‘soft-launching’ a new album to be released by festival offshoot New Jazz & Improvised Music Recordings.
There’s a Free The Aanimals (sic) workshop at Ouseburn Farm on Sunday afternoon, and The Alex Hitchcock Quartet at the Globe from 7pm.
Wednesday 30th takes us to Gateshead and the Glasshouse for a co-promotion with South Asian GemArts featuring New Ways of Moving In The Counterworlds, Juliana Day & Manon McCoy and Helen Anahita Wilson while on Thursday it’s over to The Lubber Fiend for one of the more left-field bills of the entire festival, with acclaimed, innovative percussionist Valentina Magaletti joined by local hero Steve Malley in an improvising duo with Raymond MacDonald.
The Lit & Phil has long been at the heart of the festival and this year Alison Gill will be performing Makrokosmos in the Loftus Room on Friday lunchtime while in the evening there’s another chance to catch Jon Bradley at the civic centre before heading back to the Lit & Phil for Zoe Gilby With Johnny Hunter and a solo performance from Andy Champion in the Member’s Library Reference Room at 5.45pm followed by the Zoe Rahman Trio in the Loftus Room at 7.30pm.
The Lit & Phil is the focus again Saturday 3rd – The Anemone Quartet and Jeppe Zeeberg will be in the Loftus Room at lunchtime, Zbigniew Chojnacki / Manon McCoy / John Pope in the members reference room at 5.30pm and The Olie Brice Quartet, Alexander Hawkins (Solo) and Harper Trio in the Loftus Room from 7.30pm.
Proceedings move to the Globe for the final day, Sunday, 4th October. There’s a Saxophone Choir Workshop with Rachel Musson at 1.30pm (another free event) and to close things out, a performance from Rivkala, Ceitidh Mac and ATFK, all part of this year’s Jazz
North artist development programme.
Full details of the festival can be found on the festival website here
Manon McCoy (Photo by Benji Wilson)
